A guide to astrology and the confusing things called zodiac signs

Words by: Alice O'Brien 
Art by: Gina Day

Welcome to the world of stars. 

No, I’m not talking about NASA or the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I’m talking about the ancient practice of astrology. Can you believe people were trying to make sense of stars over 5000 years ago — the practice is nearly as old as the family dog that just won’t die. 

Originally used for predicting seasonal shifts, astrology has evolved into a deeper way of understanding our world. I bet your life can feel like it’s turning upside down sometimes, especially with Jojo Siwa’s rebrand. So looking to the stars for answers about this crazy world feels like the natural solution. It’s easy to follow the astrology ‘trend’ as there’s a constant stream of new posts and TikToks made about it. Don’t lie, I know you watch until the end of a TikTok to see what ‘Friends’ character you are based on your zodiac sign. 

Astrology will always be trendy because the stars aren’t going anywhere. So here’s a rundown of how it all works. 

What even is Astrology anyway? 

According to the Oxford Dictionary, astrology is the study of movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. 

But what does that actually mean? 

To summarise that wordy definition, thanks Oxford, people who study or follow astrology believe the stars, planets, the Sun and the Moon influence our emotions, feelings, and what happens in the world. Kind of scary right? Don’t worry, it seems confusing at first. But trust me, you’ll soon be reading the stars like your favourite book. 

Let’s talk about the confusing things called zodiac signs. Have you ever been asked the infamous “What’s your star sign?” question and thought “Here we go again with these astrology fanatics”. 

There’s constant chatter about zodiac signs. From movie references to online trends to Buzzfeed quizzes guessing your zodiac sign based on your favourite food. But talk of zodiac signs has been around longer than your grandma’s favourite cake recipe, aka a really long time. Back in the late fifth century BCE, the Babylonians divided the sky by constellations the Sun moved through into 12 sections. These, as I bet you can guess, became the 12 zodiac signs! 

Why does my zodiac sign have a personality trait assigned to it? 

Have you ever wondered why some people blame their personality traits on their zodiac sign? A classic example is “Sorry I’m late, I’m such a Sagittarius”. Each zodiac sign has a few typical personality traits, with the best traits being: 

Aries: Courage 

Taurus: Stable 

Gemini: Outgoing 

Cancer: Loyal 

Leo: Confidence 

Virgo: Perfectionism 

Libra: Balance 

Scorpio: Passionate 

Sagittarius: Spontaneous 

Capricorn: Consistent 

Aquarius: Philosophical 

Pisces: Romantic 

Okay, I’ll be real, being a Pisces will not automatically make you a romantic… no matter how much you want your Pisces boyfriend to take you on well-thought-out dates. Through social media and pop culture we have pushed this idea that your zodiac sign will determine who you are, but in reality, everyone has traits from all signs. So your best traits can be both consistent with and divergent from those assigned by your zodiac sign. It’s no wonder, as how can one zodiac sign explain your whole personality? 

Wait hold up, my birth chart gives me more than one zodiac? 

Your birth chart reveals the location of the stars at the exact time of your birth. The Sun, the Moon and the Rising Sun are three key parts of your birth chart, each having it’s own zodiac signs depending on your birth time. Yes, crazy right, you technically have more than one zodiac sign. 

Let me break it down. The Sun is your main zodiac sign — the one you say when you get asked “What’s your star sign?”. The Moon zodiac is the placement of the Moon in one of the 12 constellations. The Rising Sun refers to which zodiac sign was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth. Think of them as the three big signs, your three big sisters. 

The Sun 

The Sun, as a source of constant light, represents your true identity. This means that your sun sign influences your sense of self. 

The Moon 

Your subconscious and who you are when you’re alone is represented by the Moon, as it too only comes out at night. 

The Rising Sun 

Like rays of sunlight, your rising sign indicates how you present to the world. It influences the personality you show to others, how you look from the outside and the general vibe you give off. Your rising sun sign can act as a mask to others, but your sun sign is your true self. 

So, what now? 

To fully understand the power of the stars, create your own birth chart! Call up your parents to find your birth time, pop it into a birth chart calculator on the internet and dive into the world of astrology. 

So, the next time someone asks, “what’s your sign?”, you can come back and name not one, not two, but all three key zodiac signs… giving them much more information than they asked for! 

But just remember, you can always blame being a Sagittarius for being late — we all need a quick excuse sometimes. I won’t judge and neither will the stars. 

Here’s my favourite birth chart calculator